Missing Kits

[MyRabbits]

On Sunday afternoon, one of my Flemish Giant sandy does had a litter of eleven. It was her second litter, and the peanut didn't make it, bringing it down to ten.

Bessie is a great mom; she did a fantastic job with her first litter and she seemed to know that she was pregnant and seemed to look forward to having more kits.

I had asked my husband to check the kits on two days, and I had meant that he should take them out and count them because I was too pressed for time. He did not take them out and count them but did remove one dead one the other day so we were thinking there were nine.

Last night I took them out and counted them. There were only six. I could not find any dead bodies for the missing three.

Is Bessie cannibalizing her litter? Did she eat the kits after they died? I am very surprised. With her first litter, two of the seven did not make it, and she simply removed them from the nest herself.

I am surprised at how little a couple of these kits are. I suppose with that many initially they had trouble getting milk, but I am also beginning to wonder whether Bessie is being such a good mom this time around.

Anybody have any insights?

 

[Tweetiepy]

I can't help for your question but I can add one of my own: I thought peanuts were only present in dwarf breeds? - as in when two dwarfing genes are present you get a peanut - didn't think they could be present in any other breeds, even less in flemish giants??

 

[MyRabbits]

I think we just tend to call really little ones peanuts. They are, of course, not technically peanuts.

 

[Silver Star Rabbitry]

Sometimes a really good mother will eat the kits after they die, so that the other kits will not get chilled or sick from being exposed to a dead littermate.
Is it possible that the kits could have climbed out?

Emily

Silver Star Rabbitry
Raising and Showing Quality Silver Marten Rabbits in North Louisiana.

http://silverstarsilvermartens.webs.com/
http://silverstarrabbitry.blogspot.com/

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[MyRabbits]

Well, I guess I will add the sad post script here. The bottom line is that Bessie's milk did not come in, and I did not realize it in time that any could be saved though we did nurse a few for a while. At least I learned that oxytocin can be given to stimulate lactation. I feel terrible that I didn't realize earlier what was going on and do something about. But hindsight is 20/20.